Congo: Governor killed as fighting intensifies
What's the story
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is now witnessing a surge in violence as M23 rebels have stepped up their assault on the Congolese armed forces.
The governor of North Kivu province, Peter Chirimwami, was confirmed dead by the Congolese army on Friday after a frontline battle.
Amid the deteriorating security, Western governments such as the UK, the US, and France have asked their citizens to evacuate Goma while airports and borders remain operational.
UN involvement
UN peacekeepers engage in combat against M23
The United Nations mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) said its peacekeepers are "actively engaged in intense combat" against the M23 forces.
"Over the past 48 hours MONUSCO heavy artillery fire carried out fire missions against M23 positions," the UN said.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was "alarmed" over the renewed hostilities, his spokesman said on Thursday.
Rebel advancement
M23 rebels seize several towns, escalate conflict
The M23 rebels recently seized several towns west of Goma, including Minova, Katale, and Masisi.
The group gets its name from a 2009 agreement with the Congolese government, which it claims was violated.
Mainly made up of ethnic Tutsis who defected from the Congolese army over a decade ago, M23 is one of some 100 armed groups competing for control in the region.
Humanitarian impact
Conflict in DRC exacerbates humanitarian crisis
The conflict has worsened an already dire humanitarian crisis in eastern DRC.
According to the United Nations, over 400,000 people have been displaced this year amid continued violence in North Kivu province.
Matthew Saltmarsh from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said that "the number of displacements is now over 400,000 people this year alone," nearly doubling last week's figures.